Peru's vice minister of Tourism, Pablo Lopez de Romaña said in a press conference that as a direct result of the Government’s ‘Formalization of Casino and Slots Operations’ legislation to license illegal slots operations in the country, gaming tax in the sector has increased by 60% year on and would reach US$60 million this year. In December 2006 the Peruvian Congress approved legislation doing away with Habeas Corpus rulings by questionable judges, and directed the Minister of Tourism (MINCETUR) to clear the country of illegal slot operations by offering them the chance to go legal.

Lopez de Romaña said: "At the start of the formalization process gaming tax was in the region of US$893,000 per month. Nowadays this sum has increased to around US$5.35 million monthly, reaching in the first seven months of the year more than US$34.2 million. There are already more than 250 licensed slots businesses and we have closed in excess of 100 also. Our progress in the formalization process is on the 50% margin over some 771 slot machine businesses in the country".

Casino and Slot operators in the country, grouped in three associations, have expressed their support for the work that MITINCI is doing though the General Office of Casino and Slot Machines Control. Before the latest gaming legislation, illegal and insalubrious operations under the protection of magistrate rulings did not pay tax or offer security to the public. Order in the gaming sector in Peru has brought new investment from foreign companies and the creation of new jobs.

The gaming tax generated is distributed by the exchequer to local governments (60%), The Sports Institute (10%), MINCETUR (15%) for the development of technology in gaming control, and local arts and crafts. The 15% remaining goes to the public treasury. The change in legislation has meant new responsible gambling programmes in the sector and the creation of an organization to protect the vulnerable, supported by MINCETUR and all the licensed gaming operators in Peru. (E-09.05.08)

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